Shirt



April 15, 1941. F. GARDNER 2,238,456

SHIRT Filed April 1, 1939 In verzior. Florznda Gardner.

Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIRT FlorindaGardner, Los Angeles, Calif. Application April 1, 1939, Serial No.265,378

2 Claims.

My invention relates to garment construction and, more particularly, tomens shirts including as a componental part thereof a protective elementfor preventing an outer garment worn over the shirt from being soiledand damaged by body perspiration which would otherwise pass through theshirt.

Because of the lack of any practical means for overcoming thisshortcoming of prior garment construction, it has become theconventional practice to relatively heavily pad the arm pit area of menscoats to prevent body perspiration from passing entirely through thatouter garment. Attempts have heretofore been made to overcome thisobjectionable problem by means of thick, bulky shields mounted on thecoat, but

aside from being unsightly and uncomfortable they quickly become soiledand yield an objectionable odor, and that condition cannot readily beremedied inasmuch as such outer mens garments as coats are not usuallysusceptible of being boiled and otherwise subject to such washingtreatment, as is usually necessary to effectively remove objectionableperspiration odors.

One of the principal accomplishments of my invention is the provision ofa washable shirt including in its structure a protective element whichis washable along with the remainder of the shirt, and which prolongsthe life of the garment by preventing their deterioration byperspiration.

Another accomplishment of my invention is the provision of a shirt soconstructed and arranged that full protection of the outer garmentagainst perspiration is afforded and at the same time the comfort to thewearer is not in the least diminished.

Another object is the provision of such a shirt in which the protectiveelement is not visible 4 when worn.

Another object is the provision in such a shirt of a stop seam whichdivides the perspiration receiving area of the shirt into sectors, eachof which is separated. from adjacent sectors by a spiration from passingthrough or being visible on the exposed outer surface of the shirt.

Other objects and corresponding accomplishments of my invention willbecome obvious from the description of one presently preferredadaptation thereof, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view in perspective;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the arm portion of my shirt taken from theinside;

Fig. 3 is a section on line33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, I show a shirt having a collar 5, a body portion 6 anarm hole I, a side seam 8 and a sleeve 9. In Fig. 1, only a portion ofthe right side of the shirt is shown inasmuch as the left side would beof the same construction.

At and adjacent the and pit portion of the shirt I provide a reinforcingand protective element comprised of four sections I6, [1, l8 and I9.Each of those sections is comprised of an inner layer of fabric a, anouter fabric layer 0 and an intermediate layer b, which latter layer isof a thin water-proof material capable of being washed and boiled alongwith the laundering of the garment. Typically I use for the purpose oflayer 17 a fieeced rubberized fabric. The main fabric of the shirt formsouter layer 0.

In construction, the shirt is first cut out of the whole cloth in theusual manner and then layer 1) is placed against the inner surface ofthe shirt (layer 0) and over that is placed the inner layer a. Theperipheral portions of layers a and b are then turned under and sewedtogether and to outer layer a by a double stitch seam shown in detail inFig. 4. At the side seam of the shirt the adjacent edges of saidsections l6, l1 and of sections l8, I9 are turned under, interlocked anddouble stitched in the manner to be hereinafter described in connectionwith Fig. 3. The parallel sections l6, H are interlocked at seam 22 withthe adjacent edges of parallel sections l8, l9, by being turned underand double stitched at 23, as shown in Fig. 3. By this construction theprotective element conforms to the pattern and shape of the shirt; it isconcealed within the shirt and prevents body perspiration of the wearerfrom reaching even the outer portion of the gar! ment. Each of the foursections of which the protective element is comprised is separated fromthe adjacent sections by the stop seam which prevents the running ofperspiration from one section to the other and, at the arm pit proper,where the greatest perspiration is apt to take place, there is providedthe greatest thickness of material, there being, as shown in Fig. 3,twelve layers of material at that point.

By means of such a shirt, the wearer may materially prolong the life ofa shirt and prevent its outer garment from becoming soiled and odorousWhile, at the same time, he does not experience any of the discomfortsof a bulky or padded shield in the outer garment, such as has heretoforebeen used. By incorporating a protective element of the characterdescribed within and as a part of the shirt structure, it is keptsanitary by frequent washing, inasmuch as it is washed along with and asa part of the shirt.

While I have resorted to particular details of construction indescribing how my invention may be carried into practice, it will beunderstood of course that within the scope of the appended claims,various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. In a shirt of the character described, a body portion having anarmhole therein, a sleeve having one end intersecting and secured to thebody portion around said armhole by means of an interlockine seam, saidsleeve and body portions each having a longitudinal seam intersectingthe first mentioned seam, a pair of strips of absorbent fabric, one ofsaid strips lining the body portion only at and adjacent the lower edgeof the armhole, the other of said strips lining the sleeve a only at andadjacent the lower edge of the armhole, and a pair of strips ofwater-proof material substantially coextensive with and underlying saidrespective absorbent strips, said respective pairs of strips beingsecured together in end to end engagement and interlocked with eachother and with the said intersecting portions of the body and sleeve atthe lower edge of the armhole by means of said interlocking seam andstitched to the respective sleeve and body portions along saidrespective longitudinal seams.

2. In a shirt of the character described, a fabric body portion havingan arm hole therein, said body portion having a longitudinal side seamintersecting the arm hole, a fabric sleeve having one end intersectingand secured to the body portion around said arm holes by means of aninterlocking seam, said sleeve having a longitudinal seam intersectingthe arm hole, and a protective element including: a lining of absorbentmaterial lining the sleeve and body portion only at and adjacent thelower edge of the arm hole, saidlining being comprised of two pairs ofstrips, the strips of one pair being positioned side by side and sewedtogether along said first mentioned seam, the strips of the other pairbeing positioned side by side and sewed together along the thirdmentioned seam, said respective pairs of strips being positioned end toend and interlocked in the said interlocking seam, and two pairs ofstrips of water-proof material substantially coextensive with andunderlying the respective strips of absorbent material.

FLORINDA GARDNER.

